Yuck. I hope never to cross this threshold.

gross.

I prefer the removable option: basket or bin.

horrified.

Oh get your heads out of your asses. People like to read when they're sitting on the toilet. It's a pretty "normal person" sort of thing to do.

I wouldn't advocate every bathroom in the house having it's own dedicated magazine basket, but I think its nice to have a (stylish!) basket of magazines in the bathroom. Your "yucky" comments are akin to looking at the candle in the bathroom and thinking "ooh people must make bad smells in here".

"Gross" "Horrified"

I love the faux outrage. You're all too damn prissy for you're own good. Take a dump, read a mag while you're doing it if you darn well want to. It's you're fricken house. Don't listen to these guys. Just a bunch of pompous and pretentious people.

This aesthetic issue gets emotional because if you can't have space in your own bathroom, then home feels like a cage. Although I have nothing like this in my bathroom, my husband has a whole shelf of reading material in his, and I respect his privacy.

We have books in every room of the house and on the stairs and on the porch. I like the wall rails the best, great idea! To bad it wouldn't work for books...

i think this debate hinges on how you grew up. my family never had reading material in the bathroom. as an adult my house never had mags in the bathroom either. then i married my hubs and voila! now we do; though i still think it's odd. i guess i just don't care to pass (hehehe) time sitting on the toilet. get the job done and go read somewhere more comfortable.

It's not "disgusting" but it is a bit tacky.

I think the reason why some of us have a problem with this is because it's a direct admission that this is something people do. Usually, if you do take a magazine into the loo, when you're done you just take it out of the bathroom - which is worse, leaving the magazine in the bathroom or putting it back on the rack where anyone can touch it? Leaving it in the bathroom out in the open is an admission whereas putting it back at least keeps some hope alive that you DON'T do this and that magazine did NOT just come from the bathroom.

It's also affected by the size of the bathroom(s), the size of the household, and the home's floor plan. My husband's bathroom with the wall-hung shelf of reading material is reached via our bedroom, so visitors don't use his. My bathroom is near the foyer, so visitors use mine. My shelf stores toiletries in a box.

For those who think this gross, crass and coarse, I'm assuming you don't check your phone messages whilst in the loo...

i have been looking for something compact to hold both books and mags mounted on a bathroom wall for a long time - these are great suggestions - its too bad the ones i like best are the most expensive!

thanks for this!

Apparently I must be beyond gauche. I thought everyone read in their own bathroom? I have stacks of magazines and catalogs in there. I do some of my best reading on the toilet.

If you can't admit you read something while taking a dump that's utterly fake. Be who you are.

I'm gonna let you in on a little secret, everybody already knows you read on the can. Even you're friends. Guess what else they know? You're farts stink and at some point in you're life you've masturbated in the shower.

I don't think it's terrible.. but I hafta wonder, if you're sitting on the toilet that long you might want to add some fibre to your diet..

I text and toot.

I always have a magazine in my bathroom, not because of reading while sitting on the toilet but when I'm waiting for my bath to fill or while in the bath or brushing my teeth, its a nice chance to get some magazine reading in! I love these ideas thanks!

I was in a series of cardio wards (years ago, better now, thanks), terribly homesick. I longed for three things only: bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen...in that order. They're where all my at-home-only activities occur.

People often get emotional about bathrooms. They may unconsciously recognize that the bathroom is as much the heart of a home as its kitchen. Maybe more: I may get food from a restaurant (although I can't cook there) that's as good as the food from my kitchen. However, I groom myself well and privately only in my home bath.

I got tired of picking the magazines up off the floor, so I got the Umbra unit in photo #1.

Love it. Having 2 rolls on the go is handy too.

no aesthetic problem with it, but i definitely agree with the concern about a lack of dietary fiber for those who need so much time on the throne. i do keep magazines in the bathroom for reading in the tub, though. thinking about hanging a couple of those ikea curtain wires on the wall to drape the mags over.

My 4 year old likes to read (look at books) while using the potty. I've read it helps them relax while trying to go. I'm purchasing the umbra. Thank you for this article.

patrick (the other one), That multitasking timesaver hadn't occurred to me, but I do take the land line cordless extension in with me in case the phone rings.

My favorite bathroom had a small magazine rack in it that contained a book of quotes, some Family Circle books so you could read a cartoon or two, and a charged up Gameboy so you could play Tetris. It was great. I guess some people sit in there and stare at the shower curtain?

My personal belief on reading material is, if it's your own bathroom, go for it, if it's one guests use, no. (My guests better not be hanging out in my bathroom that long anyway!)

I don't think it's gross. And I'm not a priss. But I do think it's in slightly questionable taste. NOT that this matters since everyone here has their own home in which they are entitled to install any magazine rack anywhere they darn well please.

But I see these things and I do have a moment of "Ugh." Just not for me.

We gutted a 1960 bathroom 2 years ago, and it had a weird/cool bulit in niche next to the toilet that held tp and was sized to hold mags/newspapers too. It was recessed into the wall and everything.

dharmabum, Yes, that's exactly what I do, except it's the floor mosaic tile I stare at, or I close my eyes to rest, occasionally falling asleep (don't try this except at home). Getting older sometimes gets strange...what's Tetris?

If you're really put off, pretend it's only for reading in the bathtub and convince yourself everyone believes the same thing. Just like the toilet scrubber is for decoration, and the air freshener is for 'stuffiness.'

I just wish I could had a laptop so I could browse AT while in my "office."
I was once visiting a friend and was so upset (and bored) when I discovered there were no magazines to look at in her bathroom! When I asked her where they were she told me she hid them for my visit--we laughed.

@julie_k. AT had a reader's post not too long ago on a similar niche in the BR. Some thought it was for cigarettes as well!

I have one of those bent acrylic magazine holders on the tank of my commode. You really only see the magazines, I've had the Taylor Lautner issue of Men's Fitness in the front for 4 months now... for momentary carnal inspiration at regular intervals throughout the day.

I finally relented a few years ago and got my hubby a bathroom magazine rack for his birthday. I figured if he didn't have that, he'd never read anything. He refers to that bathroom as "the library" or "the oval office." I added a book to his collection called "What's your poo telling you?" It's hilarious and can be read one short page at a time.

Container Store has some great acrylic holders that can be screwed to the wall or set on the floor.

After realizing my husband is going to read craptastic car/airplane magazines in the loo no matter what I do, at least they are corralled and not half open on the floor or the back of the toilet.

I have this:

http://www.potterybarn.com/products/sussex-magazine-rack/?pkey=x%7C4%7C1%7C%7C10%7Cmagazine%7C%7C0&cm_src=SCH

Does that make me a bad person? *rolls eyes*

i knew this would get an outcry, and i knew "gross" would come into it :-D

grow up, people. it really is ridiculous.

I used to get grossed out by literature in the bathroom until I had some roommates who either liked to put comedic reading material on the tank or left magazine messes laying around. I finally caved and figured why not corral the clutter and put a rack in there? So I got a sleek and easy to clean acrylic magazine holder for 25 cents at a surplus store. The bathroom is more relaxing and a bit tidier for everyone. We also do so much more in our bathrooms than... you know. I find that it's nice to read in the tub, while drying hair, and brushing teeth.

Thanks for the post, AT!

If you need reading material, YOU NEED TO SEE A DOCTOR.
If your diet is healthy you shouldn't be on the pot for more than a minute or two, maybe three tops.

So I guess no one ever takes a bath here?

These are awesome, I really like the Napa rack from PB. I don't read while on the loo [mostly because it only--and should only--takes a few minutes] BUT I love to read while giving myself a footbath or taking a regular bath. Plus, my Real Simples happen to coordinate with my colors nicely :)

Great post Kimber! I never knew reading in the bathroom was so controversial. Not exactly sure what is so gross about it. Are the magazines somehow tainted just by being in the bathroom?? Honestly, I would never get a chance to read some of my magazines if they weren't in the bathroom.

Shaunon - My 2 year old is an avid "bathroom reader" as well. I, too, read that it makes going to the bathroom easier by relaxing things.

I wish I could provide all of you who are grossed out by this with a copy of the children's classic "Everybody Poops." Seriously, it's not like people are wiping with their magazines!